Communication Device and Operating Method Thereof

Abstract

A communication device includes a first radio frequency circuit; a plurality of second radio frequency circuits; and a power division/combination network, including a signal combining port and a plurality of signal dividing ports, where the signal combining port is coupled to the first radio frequency circuit, and the plurality of signal dividing ports is coupled to the plurality of second radio frequency circuits. The power division/combination network includes a power divider/combiner. Two ends of a first signal transmission network in the power divider/combiner are coupled to a common port and a first dividing port respectively, two ends of a second signal transmission network are coupled to the common port and a second dividing port respectively, and a mode tuning circuit is coupled to the first signal transmission network.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A communication device comprising:
 a first radio frequency circuit;   a plurality of second radio frequency circuits; and   a power division/combination network comprising:
 a signal combining port, wherein the signal combining port is coupled to the first radio frequency circuit and is configured to transmit a combined signal; 
 a plurality of signal dividing ports, wherein the plurality of signal dividing ports is coupled to the plurality of second radio frequency circuits, and wherein each of the plurality of signal dividing ports is configured to transmit a divided signal; 
 a power divider/combiner comprising:
 a common port; 
 a first dividing port; 
 a second dividing port; 
 a first signal transmission network comprising:
 a first end coupled to the common port; and 
 a second end coupled to the first dividing port; 
 
 a second signal transmission network comprising:
 a third end coupled to the common port; and 
 a fourth end coupled to the second dividing port, wherein the power divider/combiner is configured to operate in an operating mode comprising a first mode and a second mode, wherein in the first mode both the first signal transmission network and the second signal transmission network are in a connected state, and wherein in the second mode the second signal transmission network is in the connected state and the first signal transmission network is in a disconnected state; and 
 
 a mode tuning circuit coupled to the first signal transmission network and configured to provide an operating mode tuning capability for setting the operating mode. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the mode tuning circuit is further coupled to the second signal transmission network, wherein the operating mode further comprises a third mode, and wherein in the third mode the first signal transmission network is in the connected state and the second signal transmission network is in the disconnected state. 
     
     
         3 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the common port comprises a positive common differential terminal and a negative common differential terminal, wherein the first dividing port comprises a first positive dividing differential terminal and a first negative dividing differential terminal, wherein the second dividing port comprises a second positive dividing differential terminal and a second negative dividing differential terminal, wherein the first signal transmission network comprises a first inductor comprising a fifth end and a sixth end, a second inductor comprising a seventh end and an eighth end, a first capacitor, and a second capacitor, wherein the second signal transmission network comprises a third inductor comprising a ninth end and a tenth end, a fourth inductor comprising an eleventh end and a twelfth end, a third capacitor, and a fourth capacitor, wherein the fifth end and the ninth end are coupled to the positive common differential terminal, wherein the sixth end is coupled to the first positive dividing differential terminal, wherein the tenth end is coupled to the second positive dividing differential terminal, wherein the seventh end and the eleventh end are coupled to the negative common differential terminal, wherein the eighth end is coupled to the first negative dividing differential terminal, the twelfth end is coupled to the second negative dividing differential terminal, wherein the first capacitor is coupled between the fifth end and the seventh end, wherein the second capacitor is coupled between the sixth end and the eighth end, wherein the third capacitor is coupled between the ninth end and the eleventh end, and wherein the fourth capacitor is coupled between the tenth end and the twelfth end. 
     
     
         4 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein a signal dividing port in the a plurality of signal dividing ports is configured to receive a signal, and the power division/combination network is configured to combine powers of the plurality of second radio frequency circuits into the first radio frequency circuit, or wherein the signal combining port is configured to receive the signal, and the power division/combination network is configured to divide a power of the first radio frequency circuit into the plurality of second radio frequency circuits. 
     
     
         5 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the communication device further comprises an antenna coupled to a second radio frequency circuit in the plurality of second radio frequency circuits. 
     
     
         6 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the common port is configured to be used as the signal combining port, and the first dividing port and the second dividing port are configured to be used as the signal dividing ports; or wherein the power division/combination network comprises a plurality of power dividers/combiners comprising a lower-level power divider/combiner, a first-level power divider/combiner, and an upper-level power divider/combiner, wherein at least some of the plurality of power dividers/combiners are connected in series, wherein the lower-level power divider/combiner comprises a first common port, the first-level power divider/combiner comprises a second common port, and the upper-level power divider/combiner comprises a third dividing port and a fourth dividing port, wherein the first common port is coupled to the third dividing port or the fourth dividing port, the second common port is configured to be used as the signal combining port, and wherein dividing ports of the at least some of the plurality of power dividers/combiners that are not coupled to the common port are configured to be used as the signal dividing ports. 
     
     
         7 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the power divider/combiner further comprises an isolation circuit coupled between the first signal transmission network and the second signal transmission network, and wherein the mode tuning circuit is further coupled to the isolation circuit. 
     
     
         8 . The communication device of  claim 7 , wherein the mode tuning circuit comprises a first switch coupled to the first signal transmission network and configured to control whether the first signal transmission network is in the connected state. 
     
     
         9 . The communication device of  claim 8 , wherein the mode tuning circuit further comprises a second switch coupled to the second signal transmission network and configured to control whether the second signal transmission network is in the connected state. 
     
     
         10 . The communication device of  claim 9 , wherein the common port comprises a positive common differential terminal and a negative common differential terminal, wherein the first dividing port comprises a first positive dividing differential terminal and a first negative dividing differential terminal, wherein the second dividing port comprises a second positive dividing differential terminal and a second negative dividing differential terminal, wherein the first signal transmission network further comprises a first inductor and a second inductor, wherein the first inductor comprises a fifth end and a sixth end, wherein the second inductor comprises a seventh end and an eighth end, wherein the second signal transmission network further comprises a third inductor and a fourth inductor, wherein the third inductor comprises a ninth end and a tenth end, wherein the fourth inductor comprises an eleventh end and twelfth end, wherein the fifth end is coupled to the positive common differential terminal, wherein the ninth end is coupled to the negative common differential terminal, wherein the sixth end is coupled to the tenth end, wherein the seventh end is coupled to the first positive dividing differential terminal, wherein the eighth end is coupled to the first negative dividing differential terminal, wherein the eleventh end is coupled to the second positive dividing differential terminal, and wherein the twelfth end is coupled to the second negative dividing differential terminal. 
     
     
         11 . The communication device of  claim 10 , wherein the power divider/combiner further comprises a third capacitor comprising a seventeenth end and an eighteenth end, wherein the seventeenth end is coupled to the fifth end, and wherein the eighteenth end is coupled to the ninth end. 
     
     
         12 . The communication device of  claim 10 , wherein the first signal transmission network further comprises a first capacitor comprising a thirteenth end and a fourteenth end, wherein the thirteenth end is coupled to the fifth end, wherein the fourteenth end is configured to couple to a ground end, wherein the second signal transmission network further comprises a second capacitor comprising a fifteenth end and a sixteenth end, wherein the fifteenth end is coupled to the ninth end, and wherein the sixteenth end is coupled to the ground end. 
     
     
         13 . The communication device of  claim 10 , wherein the first signal transmission network further comprises a fourth capacitor connected in parallel to the second inductor, and wherein the second signal transmission network further comprises a fifth capacitor connected in parallel to the fourth inductor. 
     
     
         14 . The communication device of  claim 13 , wherein the first switch comprises a thirteenth end and a fourteenth end, wherein the thirteenth end is coupled to the first positive dividing differential terminal, wherein the fourteenth end is coupled to the first negative dividing differential terminal, and/or wherein the second switch comprises a fifteenth end and a sixteenth end, wherein the fifteenth end is coupled to the second positive dividing differential terminal, and wherein the sixteenth end is coupled to the second negative dividing differential terminal. 
     
     
         15 . The communication device of  claim 13 , wherein the isolation circuit comprises a first isolation resistor and a second isolation resistor, wherein the mode tuning circuit further comprises a third switch and a fourth switch, wherein the first isolation resistor and the third switch are coupled in series between the first positive dividing differential terminal and the second positive dividing differential terminal, and wherein the second isolation resistor and the fourth switch are coupled in series between the first negative dividing differential terminal and the second negative dividing differential terminal. 
     
     
         16 . The communication device of  claim 13 , wherein the isolation circuit comprises a third isolation resistor, wherein the mode tuning circuit further comprises a fifth switch, wherein the first dividing port comprises a first port and second port, wherein the second dividing port comprises a third port and a fourth port, wherein the first port and the third port have a first phase, wherein the second port and the fourth port have a second phase, wherein the third isolation resistor and the fifth switch are coupled in series between the first port and the third port, and wherein the second port and the fourth port are both configured to be coupled to a ground end. 
     
     
         17 . An operating method of a communication device, wherein the operating method comprises:
 transmitting a combined signal from a signal combining port;   transmitting a divided signal from a plurality of signal dividing ports coupled to a plurality of second radio frequency circuits;   providing an operating mode tuning capability for configuring an operation mode of a power divider/combiner, wherein the operating mode comprises a first mode and a second mode, wherein in the first mode both a first signal transmission network and a second signal transmission network are in a connected state, and wherein in the second mode the second signal transmission network is in the connected state and the first signal transmission network is in a disconnected state; and   controlling, by a mode tuning circuit, the first signal transmission network and the second signal transmission network to be the connected state when in the first mode; or   controlling, by the mode tuning circuit, the first signal transmission network to be in the disconnected state and the second signal transmission network to be in the connected state when in the second mode.   
     
     
         18 . The operating method of the communication device of  claim 17 , further comprising controlling, by the mode tuning circuit, the first signal transmission network to be in the connected state and the second signal transmission network to be in the disconnected state when in a third mode of the operating mode. 
     
     
         19 . A power divider/combiner comprising:
 a common port;   a first dividing port;   a second dividing port;   a first signal transmission network comprising:
 a first end coupled to the common port; and 
 a second end coupled to the first dividing port; 
   a second signal transmission network comprising:
 a third end coupled to the common port; and 
 a fourth end coupled to the second dividing port, wherein the power divider/combiner is configured to operate in an operating mode comprising a first mode and a second mode, wherein in the first mode both the first signal transmission network and the second signal transmission network are in a connected state, and wherein in the second mode only one of the second signal transmission network or the first signal transmission network is in the connected state; and 
   a mode tuning circuit coupled to the first signal transmission network and configured to provide an operating mode tuning capability for setting the operating mode.   
     
     
         20 . The power divider/combiner of  claim 19 , further comprising comprises an isolation circuit coupled to the mode tuning circuit and located between the first signal transmission network and the second signal transmission network.